---

Ancient Indya -» East India Tourism -» Darjeeling India Tourism

---

Darjeeling India Tourism

Darjeeling is a town in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of Darjeeling district, in the Shiwalik Hills on the lower range of the Himalaya, at an average elevation of 2,134 m (6,982 ft). The name "Darjeeling" is a combination of the Tibetan words Dorje ("thunderbolt") and ling ("place"), translating to "The land of the thunderbolt." During the British Raj in India, Darjeeling's temperate climate led to its development as a hill station (hill town) for British residents to escape the heat of the plains during the summers.

Darjeeling is internationally famous for its tea industry and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tea plantations date back to the mid 1800s as part of a British development of the area.

The tea growers of the area developed distinctive hybrids of black tea and fermenting techniques, with many blends considered among the world's finest. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway connecting the town with the plains was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999 and is one of the few steam engines still in service in India.

Darjeeling has several British-style public schools, which attract students from many parts of India and neighbouring countries. The town, along with neighbouring Kalimpong was a major centre for the demand of a separate Gorkhaland state in the 1980s, though the separatist movement has gradually decreased over the past decade due to the setting up of an autonomous hill council.

In the recent years the town's fragile ecology is threatened by a rising demand for environmental resources, stemming from growing tourist traffic and poorly planned urbanisation.

The history of Darjeeling is intertwined with that of Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and Bengal. Until the early 19th century, the area around Darjeeling was ruled intermittently by the kingdoms of Nepal and Sikkim, with settlement consisting of a few villages of Lepcha woodspeople. In 1828, a delegation of British East India Company officials on their way to Sikkim stayed in Darjeeling and decided that the region was a suitable site for a sanitarium for British soldiers. The Company negotiated a lease of the area from the Chogyal of Sikkim in 1835. Arthur Campbell, a surgeon with the Company and Lieutenant Napier (later Lord Napier of Magdala) were given the responsibility to found a hill station there.

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, in 1921The British established experimental tea plantations in Darjeeling in 1841. The success of these experiments led to the development of tea estates all around the town in the second half of the 19th century. Darjeeling was annexed by the British Indian Empire a few years after an incident of discord between Sikkim and the Company in 1849.

During this time immigrants, mainly from Nepal, were recruited to work at construction sites, tea gardens, and on other agriculture-related projects. Scottish missionaries undertook the construction of schools and welfare centres for the British residents, laying the foundation for Darjeeling's high reputation as a centre of education.

The opening of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in 1881 hastened the development of the region.In 1898, Darjeeling was rocked by a major earthquake (known as the "Darjeeling disaster") that caused severe damage to the town and the native population.



Darjeeling India Tourism, East India Tourism Reservation Form

* Represents Compulsory Fields * Name : * Phone: (Include   Country/Area Code) * Traveller's Country : * E-Mail Address : * Tentative Date of Travel: Duration of Travel in India(Approx.): * Tour Budget per person : Select USD 50-74 Person/Day USD 75-124 Person/Day USD 125-174 Person/Day USD 175-224 Person/Day USD 225+ Person/Day No. of People Travelling: 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Adult      00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Children Special Interest if any : Detail of tour